Let's Wipe Out Lead Poisoning: Renovate Right

Additional Resources

Podcasts

Video

NBC's Today show highlights dangers and precautions to be aware of when renovating older housing or child care facilities.

Publications

Renovate Right: Important Lead Hazard Information for Families, Child Care Providers and Schools (PDF) (20 pp, 3.7MB)
Contractors: Lead Safety During Renovation (PDF) (2 pp, 1.5MB) HTML version
EPA Lead Poisoning Outreach Materials (available in multiple languages)

National Lead Poisoning and Prevention Week - October 19-25, 2008

Lead poisoning from old or peeling paint continues to be a serious health risk to American children. In 2002 the Centers for Disease Control estimated that almost 14% of U.S. children have unsafe levels of lead in their blood, despite decades of work to reduce childhood exposure to lead paint. National Lead Poisoning and Prevention Week starts on October 19, and EPA wants to remind parents, contractors and health care workers of the importance of lead-safe practices during renovation of homes built before 1978.

Although lead paint was prohibited for residences after 1978, millions of homes still contain hazardous amounts of lead in layers of old paint which can poison children when removed or disturbed by renovations.

Children are exposed to lead by eating paint chips or by ingesting lead-contaminated house dust or soil through hand-to-mouth contact. Lead poisoning affects thousands of children under the age of 6, with minority and low-income children especially affected.

Lead is highly toxic and affects many systems of the body. It can damage a child’s kidneys and central nervous system and at high levels, lead can cause coma, convulsions, and death. Even low levels in children’s blood are associated with decreased intelligence, behavior problems, reduced physical stature and growth, and impaired hearing. Recent studies indicate that lead exposure may be associated with juvenile delinquent behavior.

Since 1992, EPA has been working with states and with local communities to prevent childhood lead poisoning. EPA has developed training and certification programs to make sure that contractors are handling lead paint safely. We regularly provide funding for local lead poisoning prevention programs, distribute outreach materials to help parents protect their kids from lead paint, and take enforcement action against those who fail to comply with lead poisoning prevention rules and regulations.

Our new Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule takes effect in April 2010. It requires contractors to be trained and to follow simple but effective lead-safe work practices to protect children from dangerous levels of lead released during renovation work.

Until that time, EPA recommends that anyone performing renovation, repair, and painting projects that disturb lead-based paint in pre-1978 homes, child care facilities and schools follow lead-safe work practices, including these three simple procedures:

Contain the work area
Minimize dust
Clean up thoroughly

Parents can get more information about safe removal of lead paint here.

Education and outreach are critical to ending childhood lead poisoning. Our most important partners have been state and county health departments. Health department staff are knowledgeable about lead. Some staff members speak the languages of their communities and relate well to them. EPA is often a key partner in these efforts by providing free educational materials and technical information which local health agencies can distribute to their communities.

man standing a scaffold working on house eaves

Although lead paint and contaminated dust and soil are the principal source of childhood lead poisoning, lead exposure may also come from folk remedies, pottery, imported candy, and cosmetics. Lead in the air from mining and smelting sites and in water from plumbing materials containing lead can also cause lead poisoning. In recent years lead in consumer goods, especially imported toys, has been a cause for concern.

EPA is working with all of our partners to meet the national goal of eliminating childhood lead poisoning by 2010. Educating parents and contractors about the dangers of renovating homes with lead paint is a critical part of meeting that goal.

EPA Partners With Alameda County to Reduce Lead Risks

One partner with whom we have worked closely over the years is the the Alameda County Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (ACLPP) and their lead professionals. Alameda County had one of the first lead programs in the nation and has been a leader in lead health care issues and work for many years. We provide them with materials to carry out their projects in the community and work together to publicize special emphasis projects.

Julie Twichell, Community Education Manager of ACLPPP, says that many of their cases involve children exposed to lead from unsafe renovation of homes. One recent example involved a low-income homeowner who renovated his home with the help of relatives, without knowing about the dangers of lead dust. The ACLPPP worked with the homeowner to educate him about safe work practices, and provided technical and financial assistance through its HUD lead hazard control program. The homeowner was also provided an in-home consultation and encouraged to take one of the ACLPP's EPA approved classes in Lead Safety for Remodeling, Repair and Painting, in order to learn safe ways to continue maintaining the paint in his home.

According to Julie, "We appreciate the assistance that staff at Region IX EPA have provided over the years to provide educational materials, answer questions and to take referrals of complaints of violations of the Lead Paint Disclosure Rule." This federal lead disclosure law requires that individuals receive certain information before renting or buying pre-1978 housing. Landlords and sellers have to provide written disclosure of known information on lead-based paint and lead-based paint hazards before leasing or selling a house. Buyers have up to ten days to check for lead hazards.

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